Compost 411
Why Compost?
REDUCE the volume of material in landfills and incinerators:
-California sends more than 40 million tons of trash to landfills each year.
-30-50% of our waste is compostable
- Compost reduces waste, greenhouse gas emissions, and air pollution.
-California has a 75% waste reduction by 2020 goal.
-The UC System has a zero waste by 2020 goal
IMPROVE Soil Quality:
- Compost provides nutrients, improves soil texture, eliminates weeds,
insects, and pathogens, aerates the soil, retains soil moisture, and moderates
soil temperature.
What Can I Compost?
•All food scraps:
For Example: fruits, vegetables, bread, pasta, rice, meat, fish, seafood,
cheese, bones, eggshells, and coffee grounds
•All Waxed & Food Soiled Paper Products:
For Example: tea bags, napkins, paper towels, paper plates, paper cups,
paper food trays, waxed paper cups, waxed paper fry boats, pizza
boxes, waxed paper To-Go containers, waxed cardboard produce
boxes
*NOTE: If a paper product has a shiny coating made from wax only, we
can take it. If the shine is from a plastics-based product, we don’t want
it.
•All Plant Materials:
For Example: plant trimmings, flowers, leaves, grass, wood, sawdust,
wooden crates, wooden chop sticks
•# 7 PLA Plastic
•Unacceptable Contaminants:
–Regular plastic, glass, tin, aluminum, styrofoam, cooking oil, ceramics
Website to start service:
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=7728
You MUST call customer service to start compost service pick up:
1-510-981-7270